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Ball State University

Students Say

The cornerstone of Ball State University's educational philosophy is its commitment to experiential or "immersive learning." In addition to completing class work, students participate in research or community-based projects and complete capstone requirements. Students love these "unique" and "practical" opportunities that "prepare them for the future." Ball State has many "very distinguished" academic programs, including communications, theater, education, and architecture.

GPA Breakdown

Test Scores

Deadlines

Regular

August 15

Other Admission Factors

Academic

Rigor of Secondary School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores

Overall

Students Say

The cornerstone of Ball State University's educational philosophy is its commitment to experiential or "immersive learning." In addition to completing class work, students participate in research or community-based projects and complete capstone requirements. Students love these "unique" and "practical" opportunities that "prepare them for the future." Ball State has many "very distinguished" academic programs, including communications, theater, education, and architecture. There is also an Honors College, which "provides a unique experience for students who want to further enrich their education." Professors in the Honors College are "far beyond excellent," and instructors throughout the school are also "excellent" and knowledgeable," with "many… still doing research and writing papers in their fields." They are "very accessible and caring" and "want to see [students] succeed." Ball State offers students "an immense amount of opportunities." "If you aren't changed for the better during your time here," a public relations student quips, "you must be a caveman."

Faculty and Class Information

Student/Faculty

16:1

Total Faculty

1,150

with Terminal Degree

776

611

Men

539

Women

132

Minority

Most frequent class size

20 - 29

Most frequent lab / sub section size

2 - 9

Graduation Rates

Graduate in 4 years

Graduate in 5 years

Graduate in 6 years

Majors

Architecture and Related Service

Architecture

City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning

Environmental Design/Architecture

Landscape Architecture

Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies

Women's Studies

Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Biology/Biological Sciences, General

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services

Accounting

Actuarial Science

Business Administration and Management, General

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other

Business/Commerce, General

Business/Managerial Economics

Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies

Finance, General

Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General

Management Information Systems, General

Marketing/Marketing Management, General

Office Management and Supervision

Operations Management and Supervision

Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs

Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric

Journalism

Radio and Television

Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services

Computer and Information Sciences, General

Education

Business Teacher Education

Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities

Elementary Education and Teaching

Health Teacher Education

Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching

Physical Education Teaching and Coaching

Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education

Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education

Engineering

Engineering, General

Engineering Technologies/Technicians

Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other

Industrial Technology/Technician

English Language and Literature/Letters

English Language and Literature, General

Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences

Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services, Other

Foreign languages, literatures, and Linguistics

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General

Overall

Students Say

Ball State is a large state school with almost 20,000 students, so there are people from "all walks of life." "The typical student is likely from Indiana or somewhere in the Midwest," and is "probably white." That said, the school is becoming more ethnically and religiously diverse, and there is a "large population of international students, so "it is…impossible to get on a bus or go to a dining hall or to the library without hearing a few different languages." A nursing student says "for the stodgy Midwest," Ball State "offers a nice out-of-the-box feel." "Fitting in is simply a matter of getting involved with the any of the numerous activities and rubbing elbows." "Most students take their studying seriously" and are "hard-working," but they "also make some time to spend time with other people in their dorm as well as others," and "enjoy going out and partying on weekends." Despite its large size and "somewhat large campus," Ball State "is a friendly and comfortable community in which to work, live, and study."

Student Body Profile

Total Undergraduate Enrollment

16,652

Out of State

10%

International

Foreign Countries Represented

44

Demographics

57%female

43%male

10%are out of state

94%are full time

6%are part time

Overview

Students Say

Ball State's campus is "beautiful and not too big," and it has a "friendly and open atmosphere" often associated with smaller schools. The campus is "going green," and students love that the school is "forward-thinking" and "embraces new technology. " The campus is completely wireless, and the David Letterman building (yes, that David Letterman) is "full of all sorts of new technology for everyone to use." These advances are all a part of Ball State's effort to shake its image as a "party school," so it can be viewed "as even more of an elite school." Plenty of students still like to let loose, however, and the solid Greek system means it's not hard to find a party. Lots of students are down on the "boring," and "awful" town of Muncie, but others defend it. "Muncie has become way more interesting," says a psychology major. "There are plenty of nice shops, restaurants, and even a pretty decent theater that puts on a variety of shows throughout the year." Luckily for students who aren't fans, "The village right off campus features sports bars, a restaurant, fast food, book stores, and other little novelty spots," and the school isn't too far from Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. However, "there are so many activities…at Ball State you rarely need to leave campus," including lots of "late night activities, movie nights, and clubs on and off campus."

Student Services

Sustainability

Ball State University’s Council on the Environment (COTE) was established to “promote the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of ecological systems that sustain life” on campus and in the surrounding area. Each of its 102 administrative units has prepared a unit-level sustainability plan outlining what it will do to help the university achieve its strategic sustainability goals. The university has completed the first half of a two-phase, multi-year project, which replaces its coal-fired heat plant and Freon-based chill plant with a district-scale ground source heat-pump-chiller heating and cooling system. This geothermal system that will save the university up to $2 million a year in annual net operating costs and eliminate some 85,000 MT of annual Scope I emissions. In keeping with BSU’s sustainability makeover, LEED Silver is required for all new construction on campus. In 2012, BSU hosted its ninth “Greening of the Campus,” an interdisciplinary conference series aimed at responding to on-campus environmental challenges and in 2013 hosted the first in a series of Geothermal Conclaves on the design, installation and operation of geothermal technologies. BSU is also home to the Center for Energy Research/Education/Service (CERES), “an interdisciplinary academic support unit focused on issues related to energy and resource use.” The university publishes annual Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) assessments of its sustainability performance; developed by faculty-mentored student teams as part of the Building Better Communities (BBC) Fellowship Program. In addition, the university has received a Gold Rating through the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) among other substantial regional, national and international recognitions for the integrated, whole-systems implementation of its sustainability leadership.

Data provided by Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), STARS®, as of February, 2014.

Campus Security Report

The Jeanne Clery Act requires colleges and universities to disclose their security policies, keep a public crime log, publish an annual crime report and provide timely warnings to students and campus employees about a crime posing an immediate or ongoing threat to students and campus employees.

The Princeton Review publishes links directly to each school's Campus Security Reports where available. Applicants can also access all school-specific campus safety information using the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool provided by the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education: http://ope.ed.gov/security